Conclusion and Recommendations

This report has demonstrated the range of options available for TDM measures in Scotland which can contribute towards government targets of reducing vehicle kilometres by 20%. From this assessment it is likely that either locally or nationally implemented TDM schemes could achieve the 20% car kilometre reduction target in an equitable manner.

Drawing on a range of national and international examples of TDM schemes and academic research, a list of options was generated and assessed qualitatively against assessment criteria before considering unintended consequences and adversely affected groups, and what appropriate mitigations could be packaged into the options.

The four assessed options all have broadly similar performance against the STAG criteria, with positive impacts on Environment, Climate Change, Health, Safety and Wellbeing, and Economy and only negative impacts against Equality and Accessibility, though the magnitude of these impacts has been mitigated through exemptions and discounts for particularly affected groups. Additionally all options are broadly considered deliverable, as none use novel technology and are forecasted to raise enough revenue to cover their operating costs and provide funding for local or national transport priorities.

The remainder of this chapter sets out some further considerations for the next stages of detailed design of the chosen TDM measure.

Deliverability Considerations

There are a number of further deliverability considerations which would need to be addressed in order to design any deliverable TDM scheme based on the above options. These include:

  • Vehicle types – the charging options proposed in this report apply to private vehicles as the economic responses of freight/business vehicles as a result of road user charging will differ significantly and so is subject to a separate assessment.
  • Charging zone boundaries - As per the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001, the boundaries of local charging schemes would require to be set by each local authority. For these to reflect the modelled results presented here, each charged area would need to be ambitious and extensive, covering large parts of urban Edinburgh, Glasgow region, Aberdeen and Dundee.
  • Further definition of variable rates – Depending on the technological path taken, adjustments to variable rates according to time, location of journey and vehicle type can be made in order to maximise the effectiveness and fairness of the charge.
  • National border considerations – around 30,000 vehicles cross the border from England into Scotland each day and while a grace period per vehicle has been assumed, consideration will be required for how regular commuters between Scotland and England are charged and how miles travelled in the two countries are disaggregated
  • UK Wide Developments – A 2022 report by the House of Commons recommends the UK Government looks at implementing an alternative road charging mechanism to combat the identified problem of falling fuel duty revenue. Uncertainties remain about how national pricing could interact with future UKG fuel duty successor tax, but national pricing presents an opportunity to price in the costs of Transport in a fairer way, designed in line with Scotland’s geographic and population dispersal.

Framework for Implementation

Whether local or national options are taken forward, both options will require a framework to ensure their effective implementation, and will be particularly important if local authorities decide, utilising their existing powers under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001, to implement a local charging scheme in advance of, or in addition to, a national scheme.

Therefore, a key recommendation of this work is to establish a Framework of Implementation for TDM measures in Scotland. This will ensure interoperability between different local schemes or local and national schemes. This could include the adoption of common legal, organisational, contractual, commercial, procedural and technical standards for the delivery of the service. In practice this could include shared ‘back office’ functions including enforcement equipment and monitoring, and support for local authorities as these measures are implemented to help meet a nationally set target.

The benefits of creating a national Framework for Implementation include:

  • Implementation costs are reduced as different schemes share the same infrastructure/customer facing platform.
  • Local Authorities are empowered to implement local schemes with the political backing of Scottish Government.
  • Can help ensure local schemes are contributing as intended to the objective of reducing car kilometres by 20% by 2030.
  • Technology standards and procurement is removed as a barrier for implementation for local authorities.
  • Ensures drivers are not unfairly ‘double charged’ – for example a simultaneously paying higher variable rate for driving in a city with a national charge and a fee for passing a cordon or area boundary.
  • Equity issues such as exemptions and discounts are dealt with consistently across the country.

In order to implement a national Framework for Implementation, the Scottish Government will be required to:

  • Define responsibilities for all parties, including National and Local Government, and Agencies.
  • Agree with local authorities a common set of standards and requirements.
  • Consider a range of complementary measures which mitigate unintended consequences of the chosen TDM measure. This could include additional parking charges around zone boundaries, road space reallocation and mileage allowance trading.
  • Define the technological approach to enforcement including possible use of telematics, app-based systems and a common pay-platform.
  • Establish requirements of ‘back office’ functions, including staffing and contracts for providing enforcement technology and customer facing platform.
  • Determine how enforcement is managed, including the role of police and courts and ways to maximise compliance.
  • Continue to monitor performance of schemes against the target of reducing car kilometres by 20% by 2030.